The United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) was a pro-government militia that participated in the First Liberian Civil War (1989–1996).
69-795: ULIMO was formed in May 1991 by Krahn and Mandingo refugees and soldiers who had fought in the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) fighters. It was led by Alhadji Kromah and Raleigh Seekie, a deputy Minister of Finance in the Doe government. After fighting alongside the Sierra Leonean army against the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), ULIMO forces entered western Liberia in September 1991. The group scored significant gains in areas held by another rebel group –
138-403: A red notice regarding Taylor, suggesting that countries had a duty to arrest him. Taylor was placed on Interpol's Most Wanted list , declaring him wanted for crimes against humanity and breaches of the 1949 Geneva Convention , and noting that he should be considered dangerous. Nigeria stated it would not submit to Interpol's demands, agreeing to deliver Taylor to Liberia only in the event that
207-480: A 1993 estimate, 12,000 in Ivory Coast. Charles Taylor (Liberian politician) Rebel leader (1989–1997) President of Liberia (1997–2003) Post-Presidency (2003–present) Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (born 28 January 1948) is a Liberian former politician and convicted war criminal who served as the 22nd president of Liberia from 2 August 1997 until his resignation on 11 August 2003 as
276-651: A Gaddafi-funded armed uprising from the Ivory Coast into Liberia to overthrow the Doe regime, leading to the First Liberian Civil War . By 1990, his forces controlled most of the country. That same year, Prince Johnson , a senior commander of Taylor's NPFL, broke away and formed the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL). In September 1990, Johnson captured Monrovia , depriving Taylor of outright victory. Johnson and his forces captured and tortured Doe to death, instigating
345-487: A UN embargo against arms sales to Liberia at the time, these weapons were largely purchased on the black market through arms smugglers such as Viktor Bout . Taylor was charged with aiding and abetting RUF atrocities against civilians, which left many thousands dead or mutilated, with unknown numbers of people abducted and tortured. He was also accused of assisting the RUF in the recruitment of child soldiers . In addition to aiding
414-417: A central governing power, instead turning to a village "headman" who rose to a position of social esteem through skill, hard work, and luck in hunting and farming. These individuals often formed councils consisting of young warriors for protection and village elders to serve as consultants in village affairs. This governing group would broker trades with neighboring tribes, as well as make important decisions for
483-598: A few days later. In July 2003, LURD initiated a siege of Monrovia, and several bloody battles were fought as Taylor's forces halted rebel attempts to capture the city. The pressure on Taylor increased as U.S. President George W. Bush twice that month stated that Taylor "must leave Liberia". On 9 July, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo offered Taylor exile in his country on the condition that Taylor stay out of Liberian politics. Taylor insisted that he would resign only if U.S. peacekeeping troops were deployed to Liberia. Bush publicly called upon Taylor to resign and leave
552-411: A former military commander, testified that Charles Taylor celebrated his new-found status during the civil war by ordering human sacrifice, including the killings of Taylor's opponents and allies that were perceived to have betrayed Taylor, and by having a pregnant woman buried alive in sand. Marzah also accused Taylor of forcing cannibalism on his soldiers to terrorize their enemies. In January 2009,
621-709: A getaway car to Staten Island in New York, where Taylor disappeared. All four of Taylor's fellow escapees, as well as Enid and Toweh, were later apprehended. In July 2009, Taylor claimed at his trial that US CIA agents had helped him escape from the maximum security prison in Boston in 1985. This was during his trial by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague. The US Defense Intelligence Agency confirmed that Taylor first started working with US intelligence in
690-662: A motion by Taylor's defence team, who argued that their client could not get a fair trial there and also wanted the Special Court to withdraw the request to move the trial to Leidschendam. On 15 June 2006, the British government agreed to jail Taylor in the United Kingdom in the event he was convicted by the SCSL. This fulfilled a condition laid down by the Dutch government , which had stated it
759-530: A plea of not guilty. In early June 2006, the decision on whether to hold Taylor's trial in Freetown or in Leidschendam had not yet been made by the new SCSL president, George Gelaga King . King's predecessor had pushed for the trial to be held abroad because of fear that a local trial would be politically destabilizing in an area where Taylor still had influence. The Appeals Chamber of the Special Court dismissed
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#1732873480666828-642: A result of the Second Liberian Civil War and growing international pressure. Born in Arthington , Montserrado County , Liberia , Taylor earned a degree at Bentley College in the United States before returning to Liberia to work in the government of Samuel Doe . After being removed for embezzlement and imprisoned by President Doe, Taylor escaped prison in 1989. He eventually arrived in Libya , where he
897-506: A violent political fragmentation of the country. The civil war turned into an ethnic conflict , with seven factions among indigenous peoples and the Americo-Liberians fighting for control of Liberia's resources (especially iron ore, diamonds, timber, and rubber). Amos Sawyer alleges that Taylor's aims extended beyond Liberia—that he wanted to re-establish the country as a regional power player. Taylor's ambitions, which were held from
966-540: A warrant for extradition to face charges of embezzling $ 1 million (~$ 2.48 million in 2023) of government funds while he was the GSA boss. Taylor fought extradition with the help of a legal team led by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark . His lawyers' primary arguments before US District Magistrate Robert J. DeGiacomo stated that his alleged acts of lawbreaking in Liberia were political rather than criminal in nature and that
1035-724: Is still spoken by many Liberians. Within the Kru languages there are several subcategories, with Eastern and Western Kru offering the first significant division of tribal language breakdowns. Krahn falls under the Western Kru, Wee subgroup. Some scholars further denote a difference between Eastern and Western Krahn , with Eastern variations typically spoken in northeast Liberia and Western Krahn spoken throughout Grand Gedeh County and Ivory Coast. As of 2020, there were approximately 99,000 Eastern Krahn speakers within Liberia, with an additional 100,000 Western Krahn speakers in Liberia and, according to
1104-620: The Kru language family and its people are sometimes referred to as the Wee , Guéré , Sapo , or Wobe . It is likely that Western contact with the Kru language is the primary reason for the development of these different names. The Krahn arrived in an area of Liberia previously known as the "Grain Coast" as part of early 16th-century migrations from the northeast and what is now Ivory Coast . This migration occurred due to pressure on local populations resulting from
1173-570: The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) began attacking Krahn civilians in Nimba and Grand Gedeh counties, destroying entire communities as they moved through the country. By mid-1990 the war had escalated, prompting foreign intervention. Doe was kidnapped and executed by opposition forces. Following the removal of the Doe regime and the continuation of the civil war, Krahn refugees began fleeing from Liberia to Ivory Coast, some taking
1242-402: The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), notably around the diamond mining areas of Lofa and Bomi counties . From its outset, ULIMO was beset with internal divisions and the group effectively broke into two separate militias in 1994: ULIMO-J, an ethnic Krahn faction led by General Roosevelt Johnson , and ULIMO-K, a Mandingo -based faction led by Alhaji G. V. Kromah . ULIMO-J
1311-702: The Special Court for Sierra Leone . That year, he resigned, as a result of growing international pressure; he went into exile in Nigeria . In 2006, the newly elected President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , formally requested his extradition. He was detained by UN authorities in Sierra Leone and then at the Penitentiary Institution Haaglanden in The Hague , awaiting trial by the Special Court. He
1380-557: The U.S. State Department . On 6 August, a 32-member U.S. military assessment team were deployed as a liaison with the ECOWAS troops, landing from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit , commanded by Colonel A.P. Frick, from three U.S. Navy amphibious ships waiting off the Liberian coast. On 10 August, Taylor appeared on national television to announce that he would resign the following day and hand power to Vice President Blah. He harshly criticized
1449-477: The 1980s but refused to give details of his role or US actions, citing national security. Taylor escaped the United States without issue. He then resurfaced in Libya where he took part in militia training under Muammar Gaddafi , becoming Gaddafi's protégé. He later left Libya and travelled to the Ivory Coast , where he founded the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). In December 1989, Taylor launched
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#17328734806661518-581: The 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania . The indictment was unsealed during Taylor's official visit to Ghana , where he was participating in peace talks with MODEL and LURD officials. As result, the possibility arose that Taylor might be arrested by Ghanaian authorities; in response, Taylor's chief bodyguard and military commander Benjamin Yeaten threatened to execute Ghanaians who lived in Liberia, deterring Ghana's government from taking action. With
1587-447: The Krahn language with them. Although Doe was removed from power in 1990, the civil war did not officially end until 1996, at which time Charles Taylor ran for the presidency, winning the 1997 general election amid much controversy. Because of their opposition to Taylor and their affiliation with the previous regime and with rebel groups like ULIMO , Taylor initiated a crackdown against
1656-575: The Krahn's ethnic kin from Ivory Coast, known more commonly as the Wee, to the Executive Mansion Guard, as well as taking steps to prevent people of other ethnicities from reaching key government positions. By 1985, Doe's response to his opposition created a large "anti-Doe" contingent. In December 1989, exiles and local recruits began organizing military groups, resulting in another civil war against Doe and his Krahn supporters. As this war progressed,
1725-595: The Krahn. In 1998, Taylor attempted to murder one of his political opponents, the former warlord Roosevelt Johnson , causing clashes in Monrovia, during and after which hundreds of Krahn were massacred and hundreds more fled Liberia. This event was one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Second Liberian Civil War . In 2003, members of the Krahn tribe founded a rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), opposing Taylor. The group disbanded as part of
1794-501: The President of Liberia requested his return. On 17 March 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , the newly elected President of Liberia, submitted an official request to Nigeria for Taylor's extradition . This request was granted on 25 March, whereby Nigeria agreed to release Taylor to stand trial in the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). Nigeria agreed only to release Taylor and not to extradite him, as no extradition treaty existed between
1863-509: The RUF in these acts, Taylor reportedly personally directed RUF operations in Sierra Leone. Taylor obtained spiritual and other advice from the evangelist Kilari Anand Paul . As president, he was known for his flamboyant style. Upon being charged by the UN of being a gunrunner and diamond smuggler during his presidency, Taylor appeared in all-white robes and begged God for forgiveness, while denying
1932-550: The United Nations' peacekeeping mission, United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia , along with a contingent from the Economic Community of West African States . Taylor won the election in a landslide, garnering 75 percent of the vote. Although the election was generally regarded as free and fair by international observers, Taylor had a significant advantage from the outset. During the civil war, he seized virtually all of
2001-636: The United States in his farewell address , saying that the Bush administration 's insistence that he leave the country would hurt Liberia. On 11 August, Taylor resigned, with Blah serving as president until a transitional government was established on 14 October. Ghanaian President John Kufuor , South African President Thabo Mbeki , and Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano , all representing African regional councils, were present at his announcement. The U.S. brought Joint Task Force Liberia 's Amphibious Ready Group of three warships with 2,300 Marines into view of
2070-421: The United States in the event of his acquittal by the SCSL. Taylor's counsel cited the leaked cable and the court's decision as evidence of an international conspiracy against Taylor. On 3 March, the appeals court of the SCSL overturned the trial court's decision, ruling that as the trial court had not established that Taylor had been counseled by the court and personally indicated his intent to waive his right to
2139-539: The Western slave market. Many Kru committed suicide rather than face enslavement. During the late 1970s, Liberia faced heated civil unrest in which opposition to the Americo-Liberian and Tolbert government led to a military coup, organized in part by indigenous tribal members. The tension culminated in coup on April 12, 1980, in which Master Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe , a member of the Krahn ethnic group and leader of
United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy - Misplaced Pages Continue
2208-527: The backing of South African president Thabo Mbeki and against the urging of Sierra Leone president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah , Ghana consequently declined to detain Taylor, who returned to Monrovia. During Taylor's absence for the peace talks in Ghana, the U.S. government was alleged to have urged Vice President Moses Blah to seize power. Upon his return, Taylor briefly dismissed Blah from his post, only to reinstate him
2277-602: The bush spirits take corporeal form in order to interact with the villagers and participate in ceremonies. The Wee believe that the bush spirits can communicate with humans through dreams, often demanding ceremonial masks be created in their honor in either male or female form. These masks then serve a variety of functions, ranging from ritual ceremonies, entertainment, and focal points in moral stories to judicial and political controls. Typically, female masks are viewed as less imposing and more beautiful than male masks and are in turn used more for ritual and entertainment purposes, while
2346-447: The charges. He was reported to have said that "Jesus Christ was accused of being a murderer in his time." During the last four years of Taylor's presidency, he is believed to have stolen and diverted nearly $ 100 million, amounting to roughly half of total government revenue. In 1999, a rebellion against Taylor began in northern Liberia, led by a group calling itself Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). This group
2415-555: The civil war period into his presidency, not only resulted in the domestic Liberian conflict, they also triggered regional instability which manifested itself in the forms of the Sierra Leone Civil War and unrest in the forest region of Guinea . After the official end of the civil war in 1996, Taylor ran for president in the 1997 general election . He campaigned on the notorious slogan "He killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him." The elections were overseen by
2484-555: The civil war. Following a peace deal that ended the war, Taylor was elected president in the 1997 general election as a member of the National Patriotic Party (NPP). During his term of office, Taylor was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity as a result of his support for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group in the Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002). Domestically, Taylor attempted to consolidate power through dictatorial means such as by purging
2553-695: The coast. Taylor flew to Nigeria, where the Nigerian government provided houses for him and his entourage in Calabar . In November 2003, the United States Congress passed a bill that included a reward offer of two million dollars for Taylor's capture. While the peace agreement had guaranteed Taylor safe exile in Nigeria, it also required that he refrain from influencing Liberian politics. His critics said he disregarded this prohibition. On 4 December, Interpol issued
2622-399: The country in order for any American involvement to be considered. Meanwhile, several African states, in particular the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) under the leadership of Nigeria, sent troops under the banner of ECOMIL to Liberia. Logistical support was provided by a California company called PAE Government Services Inc., which was given a $ 10 million contract by
2691-516: The country's radio stations and used his control over the Liberian airwaves to spread propaganda and bolster his image. Additionally, there was widespread fear in the country that Taylor would resume the war if he lost. During his time in office, Taylor cut the size of the Armed Forces of Liberia , dismissing 2,400–2,600 former personnel, many of whom were ethnic Krahn brought in by former President Doe to give advantage to his people. In 1998, Taylor attempted to murder one of his political opponents,
2760-453: The emigration of ethnic groups from western Sudan after the decline of medieval empires, as well as an increase in regional wars. At the time, the African slave trade was becoming more prominent within Liberia. Some Kru subgroups were sold into slavery by their neighbours, but it was more common for the Krahn and other coastal peoples in Liberia to serve as local traders, brokering deals within
2829-571: The extradition treaty between the two republics had lapsed. Assistant United States Attorney Richard G. Stearns argued that Liberia wished to charge Taylor with theft in office, rather than with political crimes. Stearns' arguments were reinforced by Liberian Justice Minister Jenkins Scott, who flew to the United States to testify at the proceedings. Taylor was detained in the Plymouth County Correctional Facility . On 15 September 1985, Taylor and four other inmates escaped from
United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy - Misplaced Pages Continue
2898-526: The former warlord Roosevelt Johnson , causing clashes in Monrovia , during and after which hundreds of Krahn were massacred and hundreds more fled Liberia. This event was one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Second Liberian Civil War. In 2003, members of the Krahn tribe founded a rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), opposing Taylor. The group disbanded as part of
2967-470: The group involved in the coup, seized power, becoming Liberia's first native leader and head of state. With a Krahn leader serving as a key political figure, the once disparaged Krahn were now more prominently included in Liberia's governing body. This rise in status led many Krahn speakers to move to the capital, Monrovia . Doe began showing favoritism to the Krahn, particularly to those from his own tribal group. These measures included appointing members of
3036-419: The jail. Two days later, The Boston Globe reported that they sawed through a bar covering a window in a dormitory room, after which they lowered themselves 20 feet (6.1 m) on knotted sheets and escaped into nearby woods by climbing a fence. Shortly thereafter, Taylor and two other escapees were met at nearby Jordan Hospital by Taylor's wife, Enid, and Taylor's sister-in-law, Lucia Holmes Toweh. They drove
3105-543: The leader from testifying against him at the SCSL. In June 2003, Alan White, the Prosecutor to the Special Court unsealed the indictment and announced publicly that Taylor was charged with war crimes. The indictment asserted that Taylor created and backed the RUF rebels in Sierra Leone, who were accused of a range of atrocities, including the use of child soldiers . The Prosecutor also said that Taylor's administration had harbored members of Al-Qaeda sought in connection with
3174-463: The male masks are often more ferocious-looking and used in sociopolitical contexts. All Wee masks are believed to deflect sorcery, and many undergo shifts in their primary function during their lifetime. The Krahn language is one of the Kru languages in the Niger–Congo language family . Although many Kru-speaking tribes have adopted English as their second language, recent studies have shown that Kru
3243-408: The military and committing violence against his political rivals, including an assassination attempt of former ULIMO commander Roosevelt Johnson , leading to violent clashes in Monrovia in 1998 . As a result, opposition to his government grew, culminating in the outbreak of the Second Liberian Civil War in 1999. By 2003, Taylor had lost control of much of the countryside and was formally indicted by
3312-399: The natural world is made up of "bush spirits." These spirits are part of the world untouched by man, and the Wee believe that keeping these spirits appeased is vital to the health of the tribe. Whenever new land requires cultivating for fields or expansion, or when tribesmen needed to venture outside the village, it becomes necessary to make offerings to the spirits. It is further believed that
3381-511: The peace agreement at the end of the second civil war. The stability that followed the civil war has allowed the Krahn to resettle throughout the country. As of 2022, Krahn are typically found in Nimba, Grand Gedeh, and Sinoe counties, as well as Ivory Coast. Liberia's Krahn were originally hunters, fishermen and farmers, traditionally focusing on rice and cassava production. Slow or failing development of regions with many Krahn settlers led many of
3450-659: The peace agreement at the end of the second civil war. In its place, Taylor installed the Anti-Terrorist Unit , the Special Operations Division of the Liberian National Police (LNP), which he used as his private army. During his presidency, Taylor was alleged to have been involved directly in the Sierra Leone Civil War . He was accused of aiding the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) through weapon sales in exchange for blood diamonds . Due to
3519-551: The proceeding and was not present. Through a letter that was read by his attorney to the court, he justified his absence by alleging that at that moment he was not ensured a fair and impartial trial. On 20 August 2007, Taylor's defence, now led by Courtenay Griffiths , obtained a postponement of the trial until 7 January 2008. During the trial, the chief prosecutor alleged that a key insider witness who testified against Taylor went into hiding after being threatened for giving evidence against Taylor. Furthermore, Joseph "Zigzag" Marzah,
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#17328734806663588-476: The prosecution finished presenting its evidence against Taylor and closed its case on 27 February 2009. On 4 May 2009, a defence motion for a judgment of acquittal was dismissed, and arguments for Taylor's defence began in July 2009. Taylor testified in his own defence from July through November 2009. The defence rested its case on 12 November 2010, with closing arguments set for early February 2011. On 8 February 2011,
3657-497: The summer, Taylor's government controlled only about a third of Liberia: Monrovia and the central part of the country. More than one-third of the total population lived in this area. On 7 March 2003, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) issued a sealed indictment for Taylor. Earlier that year, Liberian forces had killed Sam Bockarie , a leading member of the RUF in Sierra Leone, in a shootout under Taylor's orders. Some have claimed that Taylor ordered Bockarie killed to prevent
3726-442: The trial court ruled in a 2–1 decision that it would not accept Taylor's trial summary, as the summary had not been submitted by the 14 January deadline. In response, Taylor and his counsel boycotted the trial and refused an order by the court to begin closing arguments. This boycott came soon after the 2010 leak of American diplomatic cables , in which the United States discussed the possibility of extraditing Taylor for prosecution in
3795-490: The tribe members. Within these tribal groups, it was not uncommon for ceremonial face masks to serve dual roles in rituals and politics. These masks were often modeled after animals and were utilized in community mediations. They may also have been a means of implementing social control in the years prior to adoption of Western laws during the colonial period . Many Krahn people believe that objects have spirits or souls ( animism ). The Wee of Ivory Coast also believe that
3864-445: The two countries. Three days after Nigeria announced its intent to transfer Taylor to Liberia, the leader disappeared from the seaside villa where he had been living in exile. A week before that, Nigerian authorities had taken the unusual step of allowing local press to accompany census takers into Taylor's Calabar compound. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was scheduled to meet with President Bush less than 48 hours after Taylor
3933-566: The younger Krahn generations to migrate to areas such as Monrovia. The Wee in Ivory Coast were hunters, fishermen and farmers as well, though they tended to focus more heavily on crops such as "rice, yams, taro, manioc , maize, and bananas." Like the Krahn in Liberia, the Wee traditions of hunting and farming have become unsustainable, and in more recent years many have taken work in diamond camps and on rubber plantations. Early Krahn political organizations were traditionally decentralized in both Liberia and Ivory Coast. Often, tribes did not have
4002-499: Was an Americo-Liberian who worked as a teacher, sharecropper, lawyer and judge. In 1977, Taylor earned a degree at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts , United States. Taylor supported the 1980 Liberian coup d'état led by Samuel Doe , which resulted in the murder of President William Tolbert and seizure of power by Doe, who established the People's Redemption Council . Taylor
4071-554: Was appointed to the position of Director General of the General Services Agency (GSA), a position that left him in charge of purchasing for the Liberian government. He was fired in May 1983 for embezzling an estimated $ 1,000,000 (~$ 2.57 million in 2023) and sending the funds to another bank account. Taylor fled to the United States but was arrested on 21 May 1984 by two US Deputy Marshals in Somerville, Massachusetts , on
4140-482: Was born in Arthington , a town near the capital of Monrovia, Liberia , on 28 January 1948, to Nelson and Yassa Zoe (Louise) Taylor. He attended The Newman School in his early years. He took the name "Ghankay" later on, possibly to please and gain favor with indigenous Liberians. His mother was a member of the Gola ethnic group, part of the 95% of the people who are indigenous to Liberia. According to most reports, his father
4209-419: Was delivered to the SCSL. The SCSL prosecutor originally indicted Taylor on 3 March 2003 on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict in Sierra Leone. On 16 March 2006, a SCSL judge gave leave to amend the indictment against Taylor. Under the amended indictment, Taylor was charged with 11 counts. At Taylor's initial appearance before the court on 3 April 2006, he entered
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#17328734806664278-681: Was extradited and flown to Rotterdam Airport in the Netherlands. He was taken into custody and held in the detention centre of the International Criminal Court , located in the Scheveningen section of The Hague. The Association for the Legal Defence of Charles G. Taylor was established in June 2006 to assist in his legal defence. When Taylor's trial opened on 4 June 2007, Taylor boycotted
4347-465: Was found guilty in April 2012 of all eleven charges levied by the Special Court, including terror, murder and rape. In May 2012, Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Reading the sentencing statement, Presiding Judge Richard Lussick said: "The accused has been found responsible for aiding and abetting as well as planning some of the most heinous and brutal crimes in recorded human history." 1 Taylor
4416-406: Was frequently accused of atrocities, and is thought to have been backed by the government of neighboring Guinea . This uprising signaled the beginning of the Second Liberian Civil War . By early 2003, LURD had gained control of northern Liberia. That year, a second Ivorian -backed rebel group, Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), emerged in southern Liberia and achieved rapid success. By
4485-523: Was poorly ruled, which led to leadership struggles and general discontent among its fighters. It had approximately 8,000 combatants . ULIMO-K was relatively united under Kromah, in contrast to the fractious nature of the ULIMO-J. It had approximately 12,000 combatants. The group, both before and after its breakup, committed serious violations of human rights . Krahn The Krahn are an ethnic group of Liberia and Ivory Coast . This group belongs to
4554-427: Was reported missing. Speculation ensued that Bush would refuse to meet with Obasanjo if Taylor were not apprehended. Less than 12 hours prior to the scheduled meeting between the two heads of state, Taylor was reported apprehended en route to Liberia. On 29 March, Taylor tried to cross the border into Cameroon through the border town of Gamboru in northeastern Nigeria. His Range Rover with Nigerian diplomatic plates
4623-539: Was stopped by border guards, and Taylor's identity was eventually established. Upon his arrival at Roberts International Airport in Harbel , Liberia, Taylor was arrested and handcuffed by LNP officers, who immediately transferred responsibility for the custody of Taylor to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Irish UNMIL soldiers escorted Taylor aboard a UN helicopter to Freetown , Sierra Leone, where he
4692-587: Was trained as a guerrilla fighter . He returned to Liberia in 1989 as the head of a Libyan-backed rebel group, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia , to overthrow the Doe government, initiating the First Liberian Civil War (1989–1996). Following Doe's execution, Taylor gained control of a large portion of the country and became one of the most prominent warlords in Africa. His forces, along with those of other rival warlords such as ULIMO were notorious for committing widespread human rights abuses and atrocities during
4761-668: Was willing to host the trial but would not jail him if convicted. British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett stated that new legislation would be required to accommodate this arrangement. This legislation came in the form of the International Tribunals (Sierra Leone) Act 2007. While awaiting his extradition to the Netherlands, Taylor was held in a UN jail in Freetown. On 16 June 2006, the United Nations Security Council agreed unanimously to allow Taylor to be sent to Leidschendam for trial; on 20 June 2006, Taylor
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